By KEVIN CHIRI

Editor and Publisher

LUTCHER – Chris Dufresne called his first time to jail &#8220the scariest place I had ever been in my life.”

At the age of 19, he found himself incarcerated, all stemming from a life involved with drugs, and it wasn’t long before he was on his knees crying out to God for help.

&#8220When I first went to jail I tried to be strong, but after a couple of weeks, I was put in the general population and I knew this was going to be a bad place to be. So finally one night I borrowed a Bible and ended up getting on my knees and praying, and crying out to God since I knew He was the only one who could help me,” Dufresne said.

After a three month stay in jail, Dufresne was released on the minor drug possession charge, but still battled the drug demons for two years before he said a life-changing experience with a police officer finally got him to turn his life completely over to the Lord.

&#8220I kept going back to doing the drugs, and finally one night I must have done some bad stuff since I thought I was going to die from the way I felt. I went down the street and some cops grabbed me and slammed me on the car. One guy put a gun to my head and told the other guy, ‘we may as well kill him since this guy is worth nothing to anyone,’ But I just started saying the ‘Our Father’ prayer and suddenly the cop stops,” Dufresne recalled.

Although the threat to Dufresne was obviously a scare tactic, it must have worked since the policemen took him to a hospital, which got him to the Covenant House rehabilitation center. And from that time until now, Dufresne said he finally gave all his problems to the Lord.

&#8220Ever since then I have been off everything for two years now, and I don’t want to do drugs at all anymore. I even hate the smell of cigarettes, and now I want to work and do something with my life,” he said.

Dufresne told his story this past week during the 27th annual &#8220Get High On Life” banquet, which highlights another year of work by the organization led by Harold Keller of LaPlace. The non-profit organization has spent over a quarter of a century reaching out to those with substance abuse problems, and Dufresne has become one of Keller’s success stories.

&#8220Mr. Harold has so much love and kindness for people like me. I’m just so thankful for him,” Dufresne said. &#8220Now I want to work and make him proud of me.”

The annual Get High on Life event brought together many of the sponsors of the group, and had other testimonies from people who have had their lives turned around by the power of God.

&#8220Even though Get High on Life is involved in numerous areas of our community to help people, like drug courts, DWI courts, jail visits, FCA and rehab center visits, I think the most important thing about the group is that everything Harold Keller does is to try and get people to a one-on-one opportunity to meet the one who can change you, and that is Jesus Christ,” Board Member Steve Nosacka said. &#8220For 27 years this ministry has been available to those who have lost their way, and it is still reaching and helping people.”

Dufresne’s story was a classic tale of a young man from a broken family. His real parents gave him up for adoption since they were both on drugs, but then Dufresne left his step-father at the age of 17 to go back to his real family.

&#8220Even with my real family, they were all doing drugs and that made it easy for me to start. My brother introduced me to pot when I was 14,” he said.

Even though Dufresne said he went back and forth to drugs, even after having what he considered a salvation experience during his first visit to jail, he believes God was reaching out to him from that time forward.

&#8220Even though I kept doing drugs, God began to make me feel bad when I did them. I had extreme anxiety when I would get high, and that’s why I finally turned my life completely over to Him,” he added.

Now he lives at the Arc of Lafayette, a rehab center, and works during the day laying tile. But he wants to use his life from here on to bring glory to God.

&#8220God has changed my life and now I want to encourage people to let them know there is hope in Jesus Christ, even if you were as deep into drugs as I was,” he said. &#8220One day I hope to preach the Gospel.”